Chicago Weather (Phoenix, Atlanta: floor, garage door, suburban)

[LucasS6]

Originally Posted by lincolnparker

Are you being serious? everywhere in this country? I can think of 100s of cities that are not cold in this country:

san diego
santa barbara
key west
miami
key largo
key pigeon
key marathon
palm springs
pheonix
long beach
santa monica
santa cruz
monterey
carmel by the sea
naples
st petersburg
clearwater
el paso
LA
orlando
jacksonville
etc
etc
etc

You honestly named only like 6 different regions. Monterey and Carmel as different places? The various Keys? Why don't I just name off every suburb of Chicago and make it seem like every place in the country is located in the Tri-State area?

The fact of the matter is the vast majority of area (by land) in this country gets cold in the winter, I believe that was his point.

[rcriddell]

I hope this helps.

If you have an oppourtunity to move to Chicago - then I say you must do it. PERIOD. I did and I don't regret it and I am NO fan of cold weather. I have lived in San Diego, San Francisco, Phoenix, Orlando, Toronto, London.

Chicago weather can amaze me. It can be 9 degrees one day and 51 the next. Get a proper coat, gloves and 180's (trendy looking ear muffs - i hate hats!) While i hate driving in snow, after you get home - bundle up and walk out into the city night for a late dinner and a martini...with the snow coming down...wonderful. I find that the gloomy days get to me more than the cold. Cold can be managed. The advice about planning a vacation in January of February is EXCELLENT. I assume you are younger, so plan on going home (south?) for Christmas, then a long weekend away in January and a week or two in February on a cruise or somewhere warm. Also - be sure and do some cardio in the winter months...it wards off SAD in my humble opinion. DO NOT BECOME house bound! Bunlde up and go downtown - have a hot coffee - do some shopping. People jog here YEAR round...now that is a dedicated runner!!!! Then on late april day the trees EXPLODED in bloom almost on the same day...that too is amazing.

This is my third winter now. I feel my management plan is working quite well.

You know whats really funny...I have been offered a great job in Dallas and was thinking of taking it - but i think my post above just talked me out of doing it! LOL

Take a chance...move here. Don't like it? Then the journey continues...

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by bluejaye

If you do not ever leave your house for Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March, April and possibly some of May you will be fine. The seasons here are summer, winter winter and winter.

Youre the perfect candidate for California or Arizona or Florida. Like...oh...my...gawd.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by gypsystar

Well, I am lucky in that I got to stay in Florida and am renting a nice house (which is the same price as what my tiny studio in Chicago would have been) here now. I'm not missing that IL winter one bit! I am basking in gorgeous 70-80 degree weather now. The fall here in FL was gorgeous as well. The trees in the northern cities change colors, so we don't miss out on that, either. The only thing we "miss" is snow - and I don't think many Floridians are too heartbroken over that fact!!

I have been in FL for several summers and I would take the heat over the Midwest's bitterly cold winters ANYDAY, as would a lot of people. I have even been through a few Miami summers, and it really isn't that bad. The heat isn't as painful as the brutal cold, in my opinion. I would take shorts and flip flops over layers of thermal underwear in a heartbeat! I love the year-round greenery here; along with Illinois' cold, cold winters come gray, depressing skies. That just isn't for me.

I lived in northern IL for 14 years of my life, and there were many days in summer that were just as hot and humid as FL summers. Don't try to argue this point with me - I lived it and can easily make the comparison. My family still lives in IL and they complain about the humid summers, and now about the freezing rain that you are experiencing. I would never leave FL for IL in the summer, and am very grateful to be down here now.

Just my two cents on anyone wondering about IL winters/FL summers!

Yeah, I guess Florida's winters are decent and all, but come summer??? hahaha Seriously, Florida has thee WORST summer weather, tied at the bottom of the pile with Phoenix And winters here are only depressing if you yourself are depressing. Sure, if you lock yourself into your home and wither away, then you deserve to be depressed. And 40-50% sunshine in winter isnt nearly as high as summer here, but its far from "depressing".

Oh, and call me when hurricane season hits again. Ill count on you and alllllllllll the other Floridians making a run for the northern summers.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by chicagocubs

Well, you know, that is why there are different people. I don't do cold. I have cold-induced asthma and probably always have had; they just did not make these kinds of diagnoses back in the day. I have a hard time breathing when it gets below 40, so, I really try not to be outside when it is that cold.

Florida, in my opinion, is TOO hot. Now, that does not mean that I cannot tolerate it; given the choice, I could deal with it. And, the other thing that I don't like about Florida is that it never gets cold enough to kill the bugs & creepy-crawlies. Did not realize that was an issue until I lived close enough to there to experience it.

That is why I live in Charlotte. In fact, there are a lot of originally northerners-who-moved-to-FL- who-are-now-Charlotteans. They are jokingly called "halfbacks" because they moved really south and then moved halfway back. For those that are older, not the OTHER meaning of halfbacks!

Anyway, the humidity here is really tolerable, less than Chicago even and so the heat of the summer isn't that bad. One of the weather traits that we have is that it is rare that any form of extreme weather lasts for more than a few days. And, the nights in the summer are cool and the days in the winter are warm. So, there you have it. From a weather standpoint alone, Charlotte is perfect. Now, on other things...well, not so much!

hahaha

Ive heard it all! "Chicago is more humid than Charlotte", everybody! Whats next, "Chicago is hotter" too?

Sorry, but Ive been to Charlotte in the dog days of summer and if you think that Chicago is more humid, youre SORELY mistaken. Yes, we get a short little heat wave here and then, but our summers are downright cool compared to Charlotte. Dont kid yourself, kid.

[dontcallmeshirley]

Try a HOUSTON summer. Our seasons are SPRING, SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER.

Then every 5 years it will snow after it was just 80 degrees the day before. It will snow for a couple hours, schools close for the next day, cars are crashing everywhere and then temps are already back up to 70 degrees the VERY NEXT DAY and the snow has already melted. So bizarre.

It totally blows! I look forward to my move to Chi-town in Jan. YES, Jan. I got a better deal.

Originally Posted by gypsystar

Well, I am lucky in that I got to stay in Florida and am renting a nice house (which is the same price as what my tiny studio in Chicago would have been) here now. I'm not missing that IL winter one bit! I am basking in gorgeous 70-80 degree weather now. The fall here in FL was gorgeous as well. The trees in the northern cities change colors, so we don't miss out on that, either. The only thing we "miss" is snow - and I don't think many Floridians are too heartbroken over that fact!!

I have been in FL for several summers and I would take the heat over the Midwest's bitterly cold winters ANYDAY, as would a lot of people. I have even been through a few Miami summers, and it really isn't that bad. The heat isn't as painful as the brutal cold, in my opinion. I would take shorts and flip flops over layers of thermal underwear in a heartbeat! I love the year-round greenery here; along with Illinois' cold, cold winters come gray, depressing skies. That just isn't for me.

I lived in northern IL for 14 years of my life, and there were many days in summer that were just as hot and humid as FL summers. Don't try to argue this point with me - I lived it and can easily make the comparison. My family still lives in IL and they complain about the humid summers, and now about the freezing rain that you are experiencing. I would never leave FL for IL in the summer, and am very grateful to be down here now.

Just my two cents on anyone wondering about IL winters/FL summers!

[lincolnparker]

a better deal on what? do tell

Originally Posted by dontcallmeshirley

Try a HOUSTON summer. Our seasons are SPRING, SUMMER, SUMMER, SUMMER.

Then every 5 years it will snow after it was just 80 degrees the day before. It will snow for a couple hours, schools close for the next day, cars are crashing everywhere and then temps are already back up to 70 degrees the VERY NEXT DAY and the snow has already melted. So bizarre.

It totally blows! I look forward to my move to Chi-town in Jan. YES, Jan. I got a better deal.

[bluejaye]

I'm just answering the guys question he says he thinks 45 degrees is cold that is why I suggested that if he can stay inside Nov-April/Mayish he will be finnnnneeee.
Truly though if you really considering moving and weather is a major issue for you Chicago may not be your place, but if you coming for the awesome city vibe and people, you may think it is worth living with the cold temps.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by bluejaye

I'm just answering the guys question he says he thinks 45 degrees is cold that is why I suggested that if he can stay inside Nov-April/Mayish he will be finnnnneeee.
Truly though if you really considering moving and weather is a major issue for you Chicago may not be your place, but if you coming for the awesome city vibe and people, you may think it is worth living with the cold temps.

The only months where average high temps are below 45 are December, January and February. March's average high temp is 45, then in April it shoots up to almost 60 and May's average high temps are 70.

Its apparent youve never lived here. Bon voyage!

[gypsystar]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Yeah, I guess Florida's winters are decent and all, but come summer??? hahaha Seriously, Florida has thee WORST summer weather, tied at the bottom of the pile with Phoenix And winters here are only depressing if you yourself are depressing. Sure, if you lock yourself into your home and wither away, then you deserve to be depressed. And 40-50% sunshine in winter isnt nearly as high as summer here, but its far from "depressing".

Oh, and call me when hurricane season hits again. Ill count on you and alllllllllll the other Floridians making a run for the northern summers.

Nope, don't count on me to come running to IL during hurricane season -sorry! I have been here through several, including the bad 2004 season. If a category 5 is heading straight to FL, I MAY take that time to go and visit my family in IL, though!